Altair
“It’s so peaceful here.” Isn’t that what I’d wanted? Peace?

(Selfishly, yes.)

“Yeah.” MC smiles, and I find myself returning the expression instinctively. “I think the phrase art imitates life has never been so accurate.”

I laugh; they have no idea. “I guess I’ve always liked the statue garden for that reason.“

Or maybe I had hated it for that reason. But MC likes it, and they’re smiling so sweetly at me now that it doesn’t really matter. I lean in to kiss MC, and despite the cold their lips are warm.

They sigh. “We should probably head over to the duelist tournament now.”

Yes, we should. But do we have to? I must seem too conflicted, because they’re starting to look confused, so I kiss them again and nod, clutching their hand in mine as we walk towards the arena.

Astrid
“You don’t have to be good at it. It’s just for fun,” MC assures me, as we gaze at our failed creation. It’s lump sided and blocky, with a head the size of its middle and a crooked smile that’s straight from my nightmares.

“It’s still disappointing.“ Nothing can ever be just for fun around here, but they don’t know that yet. Oh, sweet MC, I’m glad you haven’t had to learn this lesson.

They sigh. “Seriously, Astrid, no one is judging you by your ability to build a snowman.” Yeah, like even MC wouldn’t have laughed when I tried—and failed—to even make a snowball large enough for its head.

MC, in all seriousness none of this human stuff remotely makes sense.

…But it was sweet of you to try.

I laugh at the absurdity of it all, tugging them closer and kissing them softly. “Okay, MC.”

Cressida
We leave the museum and exit at street level, ten times as many people bustling about as there was this morning. The snow is just starting up again, fluttering around the two of us.

I turn to MC. Despite the cold, their features are bright in the pale morning light. The museum had been fun, I decide, and their company wasn’t undesirable.

They kiss me, then, and despite the crowds, for a moment it is just us two and no one else.

Leaning into the kiss, I tell myself I won’t get distracted by them, and that this is just to train myself and when they wear off it will all be over.

I get distracted anyway, and wonder when I started lying to myself so much.

Laughing and trying not to let my nerves show through, I pull away. “We should probably head to the duelist tournament now.”

Cyrus
To be fair, they had started it—I just escalated it. Brushing snow off myself now, I almost regret it.

“We have to go to the tournament now,” I say. MC frowns slightly, and I reluctantly continue, as if to justify myself, “It starts soon.“

“All right,” they say. Of course it’s all right: there’s no alternative. Cressida would smite me if we didn’t attend, but I entertain the idea anyway. Oh, MC, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.

Neither of us moves for a second, but they’re close enough that I barely have to lean in to capture their lips with mine.

We pull apart, and MC laughs. “And you started that.”

“I—Shut up.”

Katia
It’s snowing when we go outside again. I tug MC closer to me and entangle my fingers with theirs. They smile at me strangely because they don’t understand.

Please, MC, be safe. Please, please, please. I saw you again and you were cloaked in shadows, but that means nothing to you, does it? Please be careful.

If I’m with MC, I know they’re okay, so I kiss them lightly. They’re okay, they’re okay. My lips are on theirs for only a second before I pull away, giggling.

Be happy, Katia, I remind myself. Don’t worry them.

“Don’t you have a tournament to be getting to?”

Kol
MC looks contemplative. “Think we could take lessons, Kol?“

I laugh. “Not unless we’ve both miraculously become fire resistant.”

“It would still be fun, wouldn’t it?”

“We could prance about as we burn to our deaths, yes.” I don’t realize the irony until after the words are already out of my mouth, and by then it’s too late.

“Good a way to go out as any.” They’re laughing, and it’s a joking remark, but they’re wrong anyway.

MC, don’t say things like that. You know nothing about this world.

I kiss them.

MC, please be careful.

Leon
It’s my chance to play knight in shining armor, but instead my telekinesis fails and both of us end up soaked anyway.

I’m expecting glaring, but instead they think for a minute before saying, “Nice look.”

“You too.”

We stare at each other, and then laugh. “Not quite how I imagined the day turning out,” they say, leaning against my shoulder.

“Me neither.” And the ceremonies are later, and my father wants to talk to MC, and it’s all horrible, but for now it’s okay.

I kiss them, trying to savor the moment while it lasts. All too soon we break apart, and they sigh. “We should head to the tournament now. It’s starting soon.”

Seraphina
“Celosia?” they continue, more cautious now. Even their thoughts have dulled, mere white noise against the buzz of the city.

“Her and everyone else.” I shake my head, and laugh shakily. “They loved something that could never exist.”

They loved thoughts that weren’t real and people that weren’t real, mistook their ideas of people with the people themselves.

MC hugs me, and it’s strange.

But they’re here, and they care, and they could never understand how much that means. I kiss them, tears still streaming down my face.

Thalia
“Did you have to? We were really bonding there!“ MC frowns, and it’s cute, as if they expect things to change just by wanting for them to.

I snicker. “You and the specter shark? Sorry, babe, wasn’t meant to be.” ‘Cause things aren’t always meant to be, MC, but we can ignore that for now.

“Darn.” They sigh. “And we were totally gonna go snorkeling together tomorrow.”

“It’s December.” They tried, and I admire that, but still.

“It could be an indoor pool!”

I laugh and kiss them, wrapping my arm around their neck to bring them close. “We should head to the tournament.”

Yakov
“Isn’t it more dangerous not to tell me?”

“Not if you don’t try and find out for yourself.” Would they try and find out themselves? I can’t tell.

“But don’t I deserve to know? If there’s a chance that I’d be in danger myself?”

Don’t say that, please.

“No,” I say definitively. “I won’t let that happen. Please, just trust me, MC.” They have no reason to, and they shouldn’t, but I ask them anyway because I think they just might.

“…All right.”

“Thank you.” I kiss them, grateful. I know it’s difficult MC, but please. You’ll understand eventually. “We should go to the arena now. The tournament is starting soon.”